Environmental enrichment for farmed Atlantic salmon is an emerging area of welfare science with potential to reduce chronic stress and improve individual welfare.
Atlantic salmon in sea cages experience profoundly impoverished environments compared to their natural habitat complexity. Featureless cylindrical cages prevent the natural current-seeking, depth-variation, and substrate investigation that characterise wild salmon behaviour. Research into enrichment for sea caged salmon is at an early stage but shows promise in reducing stereotypic behaviour. Light management that allows natural depth-varying light cycles may provide one form of enrichment. Structural additions that allow position variation and shelter are being investigated. Welfare science increasingly recognises environmental complexity as a positive welfare goal beyond the absence of suffering.